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Press Releases

11-16-17 | Nutcracker / Candace Bouchard Retirement Press Release | This winter, Oregon Ballet Theatre proudly returns George Balanchine’s immensely popular version of The Nutcracker to the Keller Auditorium . Now in its 14th consecutive year, the company welcomes over 45,000 people to experience this festive holiday tradition including 2,000 individuals in need through its Share the Wonder program…

Each season there are wonderful new memories waiting to be made – excited young dancers stand in the wings, ready to step on stage into challenging new roles and, this year, one longtime favorite will take her final bow. Audiences will not want to miss the chance to see Soloist Candace Bouchard as the Sugar Plum Fairy or Dew Drop one last time, before she retires from the stage following this production…

9-5-17 | Rhapsody in Blue Press Release | Oregon Ballet Theatre resident Choreographer Nicolo Fonte and Pink Martini founder Thomas Lauderdale. The evening pairs a world premiere set to Lauderdale’s masterful take on George Gershwin’s famous “Rhapsody in Blue” with the return of Fonte’s Never Stop Falling (in Love), an audience favorite. One of the most anticipated events of the fall, OBT’s season opener showcases the company’s commitment to broadening the appeal of classical ballet and features not only Lauderdale, but also China Forbes and Pink Martini at every performance.

3-22-17 | Terra Press Release | Oregon Ballet Theatre’s thrilling “season of giants” continues with TERRA, a program that takes inspiration from the earth and welcomes the spring back into our lives. This powerful mixed repertory bill features company and world premieres by renowned contemporary choreographers Nacho Duato and Helen Pickett. Taken together these four ballets make for an incredible evening of dance. They also speak to the way humans connect with and are a part of nature. From the joy of an intimate caress made sweeter by the color and scents of spring, to the endurance of a culture dependent on the bounty of their land, these dances will inspire dialogue regarding our deep connection to the earth.

12-21-16 | Swan Lake Press Release | Oregon Ballet Theatre’s 2016-2017 “season of giants” continues this February with Artistic Director Kevin Irving’s bold adaptation of perhaps the most legendary ballet of all time, Swan Lake. While maintaining much of the original Lev Ivanov and Marius Petipa choreography which is the foundation of this unforgettable work, Irving enhances the story by weaving in a more complex drama surrounding Prince Siegfried. The new focus brings an exciting opportunity for a tour-de-force performance for the male lead in a ballet that has traditionally been considered a hallmark only for the prima ballerina.

7-18-16 | Giants Press Release |Oregon Ballet Theater opens its 2016-2017 “season of giants” with a bill that invites audiences to delight in the evolving vitality of the art form, featuring breakout works by George Balanchine and William Forsythe, and a world premiere by newly named Resident Choreographer Nicolo Fonte. The program by turns romantic, brazen, and riveting is inextricably entwined with incredibly evocative music.

6-8-16 | Read Press Release | Oregon Ballet Theatre’s (OBT) Artistic Director Kevin Irving has announced additional changes to the company’s 2016/2017 dancer roster: following a stand out inaugural season, Soloist Peter Franc has been named Principal Dancer, newcomer Keenan English, a trainee with the Cincinnati Ballet, will be joining the company as an Apprentice, and Company Artist Jordan Kindell has accepted a contract with the Dance Theatre of Harlem.

4-20-16 | Read Press Release | Effective with its 2016/2017 Season Oregon Ballet Theatre’s Artistic Director Kevin Irving welcomes Jacqueline Straughan as Principal Dancer and announces several other new hires and key promotions expanding the size of the company to 27 members.

3-8-16 | Read Press Release | Oregon Ballet Theatre is thrilled to present Beautiful Decay, a company premiere from newly-named resident choreographer Nicolo Fonte featuring guest artists Gregg Bielemeier and Susan Banyas in a full evening work that explores the onslaught of time and the changes that come with it.

3-4-16 | Read Press Release | Oregon Ballet Theater’s 2016-2017 season is audacious in scope as it traces the evolution of ballet through iconic works from the giants of the field including Petipa, Balanchine, Forsythe, and Duato, and includes world premieres by two of the most innovative creators working in the art today, Helen Pickett and Nicolo Fonte.

2-1-16 | Read Press Release | Following an absence of over 15 years, Oregon Ballet Theatre is thrilled to present the return of James Canfield’s beloved production of Romeo & Juliet to Portland’s Keller Auditorium February 27th through March 5th.

1-15-16 | Read Press Release | Oregon Ballet Theatre (OBT) is thrilled to announce the launch of ChoreographyXX an innovative competition and performance project dedicated to nurturing the talents of North American female choreographers.

1-6-16 | Read Press Release | Oregon Ballet Theatre opens its exciting 2016 winter season with Capulet’s Ball 2.0, a gala event to be held on February 6th at the Leftbank Annex in Portland, Oregon.

10-22-15 | Read Press Release | Oregon Ballet Theatre is soaring to new heights and emerging healthier than ever with a stronger financial hold, key program investments, a new home on the horizon, and a growing school.

07-14-15 | Read Press Release | With the Generous Support of the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, Oregon Ballet Theatre to Launch Junior Company OBT2 and Names Former American Ballet Theatre and Pennsylvania Ballet Principal Lisa Sundstrom as Program Director

05-26-15 | Read Press Release | OBT Will Make the Dynamic and Growing South Waterfront District its Next Home

03-04-15 | Read Press Release | OBT’s 25th Anniversary Season Ends on a Dramatic Note with IMPACT: Four Powerful Works, Including a World Premiere from Darrell Grand Moultrie, set to music by Portland’s Kenji Bunch of fEARnoMUSIC

02-05-15 | Read Press Release | Cinderella Comes to Oregon Ballet Theatre for the First Time: The Classic Story In Three Colorful Acts • Features the OBT Orchestra For Every Performance

11-03-14 | Read Press Release | Holiday Favorite, George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Returns for 17 Shows: Includes Three Performances After Christmas • Bouchard and Chavez to Debut as Sugarplum Fairy

08-23-14 | Read Press Release | Pink Martini to Collaborate with Nicolo Fonte in OBT 25 Season Opening Performances: Beloved International Ensemble To Appear Live On Stage In World Premiere; Agon and Excerpts by Leading Oregon Ballet Theatre Choreographers Celebrate 25 Years of Ballet in Portland